Christmas With the Tonkses
by Laterose Vale
Summary: Andromeda Black does not celebrate Christmas. Why should she? But when Ted Tonks finds out, he demands she spend holiday break with his family. As Andromeda learns to enjoy Christmas, she also learns to enjoy having a family, and maybe even Ted. Holiday one-shot. Merry Christmas, R&R.


Christmas With the Tonkses

By Laterose Vale

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. The characters here are being manipulated purely for amusement and not for profit. All rights to JKR and Warner Brothers.

Author's Note: Been awhile since I've written anything, so I guess a nice little Tedromeda one-shot is the way back in. Short notice: My name has been changed from Darke Wispers to Laterose Vale for no particular reason other than a change in personality between 8th grade and 10th grade. Hope you all enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

December 1969

"Merry Christmas, 'Dromeda!" Ted smiled, sliding into the seat next to me. I quickly jerked my head up from my book and glanced around the library. There were no Slytherins in sight, thank Merlin. I closed my book lightly.

"Thanks Ted, but I don't really celebrate Christmas." I informed him. The intent was nice, but I really did not need to be reminded of her holiday break traditions.

"You… don't celebrate…" he shook his, stunned. "Oh! I get it! You celebrate Hanukah, or Kwanza, or some other holiday. Listen, I'm really sorry, that was inconsiderate of me. I should be more careful, I did that to a lady at a shop last year and she yelled at me for twenty minutes about how she celebrated Yule, but I mean how was I-" I put a hand over his mouth. He didn't lick it, which was more than I expected.

"Shut it, Tonks! The conditions of our friendship are that no one in my family finds out, and if you keep shouting in the library the whole country will know!" Andromeda scolded. "But, no. I just don't… celebrate Christams. Or any holiday really." Her voice softened.

"You don't celebrate at all? No tree, no presents, no sitting with the family by the fire, no amazing dinner? None of it?" Ted hissed. I shook my head.

"Well… we have a Christmas Ball every year where all the high-class family come and dance and match up their children. One year we decorated with trees and illusion-snow. Does that count? I suppose dinner is nice on Christmas, but it usually is nice. And as for sitting with the family… I don't think I've ever seen my family together in the same room outside of a social event." I explained.

My mind jumped to the various years Bellatrix, Narcissa, and I would eat peppermints together by the fire read stories to each other. This would be the first year the three could not celebrate together. Bellatrix had just been married this summer, and would be spending her holiday with Rodolphus. The only time she planned on visiting over the holiday was during the Ball, and that was not exactly a good sister-bonding time.

"Hellooooo? Earth to 'Dromeda." Ted's voice jerked me back to reality. "Sorry," I muttered. He shrugged it off amiably. "So you really don't do Christmas, huh?" I shook my head.

All of a sudden Ted is out of his seat and rummaging through his bag. He finds a fresh sheet of paper, a bottle of ink, and what look like half a quill. As he's scribbling down on the paper, I ask him, "Did you have a sudden stroke? What on earth are you doing?" Ted threw his quill down in response. "A stroke of genius, maybe!"

Ted folded up his paper and sealed it. He wrote something on the front, but I couldn't read it. I opened my mouth to ask him to elaborate, but he was already flying through the library doors.

I caught up with Ted after dinner that night. I stared at him all through dinner, hoping he would turn so I could let him know I needed to talk. Nellie Flint caught me staring and thought I was making eyes at Amos Diggory, who is good-looking albeit a little slow. I bit back a laugh at the idea, but figured it would be better than her knowing I was talking to a muggle-born.

I watched him leave the Great Hall, and quickly excused myself. He was already halfway to the Hufflepuff common room by the time I caught him. I wrapped my hand around his wrist, ready to tell him off for leaving so abruptly earlier, but he pulled me into an alcove behind a tapestry.

"Merlin, Tonks! Ever heard of manners?" I accused. Ted looked at me, hands folded over his chest.

"You're the one who insists we can only be friends when no one sees." He countered.

"I was referring to your abrupt exit this afternoon in the library. What was that all about?" I demanded. Ted dropped his arms, losing all sense of defense.

"Oh, that. Sorry, but I had to make sure it was all right." He said nonchalantly.

"Make sure what was okay?" I asked, totally lost. Ted's eyes lit up, and he pulled a piece of parchment out of his robe pocket. "This." He says as he hands it to me.

As I examine the parchment I realize it's a letter. At first, I thought it was from Ted, but I quickly recognize the handwriting as a woman's. "It's from my mum." Ted explains when I look up at him. I nod and open the letter.

Dear Teddy,

We would love it if you brought a friend from school over! You're cousins are beginning to doubt you actually go to a boarding school. Of course, you friend won't be able to mention magic at all, so make sure you get the cover story clear.

Make sure she knows she'll have to share a room, okay? You're sister's back so it'll be a tight squeeze. Tell Arthur and Eugene hello for me. We all miss you very much, and will see next week for holiday.

Love Always,

Mum

"I don't get it." I shook my head, handing the letter back to him. "Are you telling me you've got a girlfriend?" I guessed, trying to decipher the meaning of the letter. Ted laughed.

"Why would I choose this way to tell you that?" he snickered. "Are you sure you were almost a Ravenclaw, because I'm not sure you're smart enough for that." I smacked his arm.

"Prat! All right then, if you don't have a girlfriend, who are you taking to Christmas?" I ask him, placing my hands on my hips.

"Well, you of course!" he smiled. "You said you've never celebrated before, and so I talked to Mum and she agreed that everyone should be around family on Christmas. You are officially invited to Tonks Family Christmas."

I did not make a point of saying I had never met his parents, and so I still would not get to spend it with family. His mum had offered me a place with them. She would have to find extra space for me to sleep, set an extra place and dinner, go through the stress of covering up my magic as well as Ted's… But she was so ready to invite me in her home. I glanced up at Ted, who looked a little nervous. I smiled at him.

"I'd love to go." I tell him, and he grins from ear to ear. "But," he frowns at me. "What will I tell my parents? And Bella? No one decent in society misses the Christmas Ball, and everyone will ask questions if I'm not there…"

"Do you have any friends staying here over break?" he asks me. I nod. Nellie's parents are going to France and staying with their Minister of Magic, so she's staying here to catch up on work. "Okay. Tell your parents you're staying here. Ask her to over for you. Make up some story about a secret tryst or something. It'll be fine."

"All right." I concede. "But I'll have to find muggle clothes to wear." Ted laughs at me.

I asked Nellie to cover for me that night. When she asked why, I used Ted's 'secret tryst' idea, and she quickly jumped on it. I think she must have thought I meant Amos Diggory, because she kept talking about 'my lover's gorgeous brown hair and eyes'. My parents were upset I was staying, but they accepted it when I explained I wanted time at school away from mudbloods. They're incredibly thick sometimes.

So that's how I ended up on Ted's front doorstep in a strange blue dress and winter coat I found in a Hogsmede shop called "Muggles and Magic". I knocked lightly on the door. A woman opened the door. She looked about forty, with Ted's sandy blonde hair and brown eyes. She had a warm smile and a slender build. She held out her arms and it took me a moment to realize she was welcoming me.

"Hello dear. You must be Andromeda. I'm Ted's mother, Trudy. He's told me so much about you!" she grinned, and suddenly I was engulfed in her arms. Merlin. She was hugging me. This total stranger was hugging me. I awkwardly placed my arms around her, and she let go. "I'm so sorry. I'm just so excited to finally meet you!"

"I-it's fine." I stuttered. "I'm just not used to hugs. It's very nice to meet you too, ma'am." I smile back.

"Call me Trudy, dear. You're so polite! You could really teach Ted a thing or two. Speaking of, where is that boy? Oh come on in, honey." She waved me through the front door.

The Tonks household was a home in every sense of the word. Where my walls had pictures of long-dead ancestors, these walls had pictures of family vacations and school portraits. These did not move either. Every part of the house looked lived in and loved. It smelled like cookies and laundry. I twisted my head every direction, trying to absorb it all. For a muggle house, this place seemed magical.

"I'm sorry the place is such a mess. It's just so hard to keep track of all my messes during the holidays." Trudy apologized. I shook my head. "It's wonderful." I breathe.

"'Dromeda!" I hear a familiar voice call. I look up at the stairs and see Ted, in jeans and a T-shirt, hurrying toward me. "You made it! I was worried you were going to bail."

"Never," I smirked. "I really hope you can explain how the whole Christmas thing works though, because all I know is that there's a tree, and songs, and you seem to think I'm somehow missing out."

Ted laughed and began to describe to me the many splendors of Christmas. He talked about magical traditions, like fairies to light up trees and the wizard crackers, and he talked about muggle ones such as caroling and ornaments. We were sitting on the couch in his family room, a cozy and crowded place, laughing over his Uncle Bernie's mishap with the tree last year when his mother interrupted.

"Edward Oliver Tonks, have you even shown her where she's staying?" Ted shook his head. "Did you introduce her to your sisters?" Ted shook his head again. "Honestly, you'd think I raised you with no manners at all." She sighed.

"It's really okay, Mrs. Tonks. Ted was just telling me some stories. I don't mind at all." I smiled at her. She smiled back and smoothed her apron.

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in that. Just… make sure she's comfortable Ted. And keep the house clean. Everyone will be here early tomorrow morning. I'm off to the kitchens."

Trudy left the room, and Ted sighed. "Sorry about mum. She's a little smothering sometimes, but she means well. She is right this time. I should show you to your room."

Ted led me up the stairs where he first greeted me, pointing out rooms along the way. "That's my parent's room, and that's my room, and there's the bathroom…" he pointed as they walked. Finally they ended at a closed door at the end of the hall. There was loud music blaring from the other side. Ted pushed the door open and I was greeted by the most oxymoronic room I'd ever seen.

One side of the room was painted a light pink with white stripes here and there. There was a neatly made bed and a closet full of pastels. The walls were lined with pictures of what looked like average teens, at the beach and at school. The other side was obviously where the music was coming from. The walls were painted a dark blue, and were covered in band posters. Clothes were thrown on the floor and the bed looked like it hadn't been made in weeks. On that side was a young woman in a short skirt and tight shirt moving and singing quietly with the music.

"Trish! Trish!" Ted called, and the music shut off.

"Hey there, Teddy-bear. Like the new album? It's The Who. Tommy, it's called. Brill, right? Much better than that Abbey Road, Beatles stuff Tina keeps playing." She sneered, glancing toward the other side of the room.

"It's all right. Not as good as the new Led Zeppelin if you ask me." The girl scoffed at Ted's response. "Listen, this is my friend from school, Andromeda. She's staying in here with you guys. Don't scare her." Ted warned.

"Andromeda, huh?" The woman asked. I nodded. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you. I was beginning to think Teddy here imagined you. I'm his older sister, Trish. Been back for a week on break from college. Sorry about the noise. This is the first time my sister hasn't been here to complain about the music."

"Hello." I offer a hand, which she looks at oddly. I know for a fact shaking hands is a muggle custom as well. I quickly put it down. "The music is no problem. It's not bad." I say in hopes of winning some favour. She eyes me up and down.

"I suppose 'not bad' will have to do. What do you listen to?" she asked me, curious now.

"Mostly newer bands. My favourite is probably Fairy Fight or The Kelpies." I answered immediately, and I heard Ted groan. He quickly explained that they were wizard bands and the three of us spent the next few hours discussing music.

I didn't meet the other sister until dinner that night. Her name was Christina, or Tina, and she was everything Trish wasn't. Where Trish had dark hair and dark eyes, Tina had blue hair and blue eyes. Where Trish was risqué and forward, Tina was conserved and polite. She immediately knew who I was, and asked no questions as to my music taste. Actually, she asked me no questions at all, her silence making me wish she would be more like Trish.

Dinner went smoothly. I discussed politics with Ted's father, also named Edward, and fashion with Trudy. The food was spectacular, and probably the first meal I had ever had not made by house elves. I tried to be polite, but I found it hard to snort when I laughed and scoop big bites into my mouth as I did when I was alone. I felt more at home here than I felt in my own house.

After dinner, I went into the living room and was introduced to television. They were moving pictures, just like ours, only they told a story and didn't talk to you. We watched Christmas movies, Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life. I was beginning to see the appeal in Christmas if it was this warm and happy. When the movies were done we all slowly climbed the stairs and began readying for bed.

I stayed up another hour or two talking sitting on the stairs, talking to Ted. It was really nice just not to be alone. When I finally crawled into bed, I fell asleep with a smile in my face for the first time in a long time. I would have to be sure to thank Ted for making sure I came.

The next morning was chaos. I woke up to find Tina already downstairs and Trish getting dressed. "Wake up, sleepyhead! It's Christmas!" She cried with her usual force. I grinned, their excitement catching. I pulled on the same dress from the day before, cleaned up, and cautiously stepped downstairs. The family room had changed overnight. There were gifts under the trees and stockings stuffed full on the fireplace. Ted and Tina were already tearing through gifts and Trish had just settled into her pile. I stood awkwardly in the hallway until Ted looked up.

"Happy Christmas, 'Dromeda! This one's you!" He smiled, pointing to a stocking. I looked up, shocked.

"M-me? But I-I don't.." I stammered. I was already intruding on their hospitality. Their family didn't need to worry about me.

"Andy, hush up and open your gifts." Trish scolded through a mouthful of chocolate.

I sat down carefully, and pulled over the stocking. It was full of chocolates. Not the frog kind, but just regular chocolate. Almost all of it was dark, and I wondered how Ted's parents had known. My pile of treats slowly piled up, and suddenly it was joined by another pile.

"These are yours too. We weren't sure what to get you, but we hope it's all right." Trudy smiled and she piled a few parcels in front of me. "It's much…" she frowned, a little embarrassed. I shook my head, feeling my eyes well up. "No. It's so much. Thank you." I smiled. They were doing what real parents should. They actually cared and they had never met me.

I opened the gifts one by one. A nice sweater from Trish and Tina. A snow globe with the London skyline. A star ornament. They were all so thoughtful, each one seeming so deliberate. I smiled and thanked them all in turn, and was just about to get up when Ted pushed one last gift toward me. I opened it slowly, smiling when I saw the familiar shape of a jewelry box. I lifted the lid to see a sturdy charm bracelet. There were three charms on it: One was a small blue star I knew must be Andromdea, one was a witch's hat, and one was a red Christmas ornament.

"Thank you, so much." I whispered to him. I lifted it out the box and fingered the charms.

"It's nothing." He shrugged. I shook my head and I put it on, not meeting his eyes. "No. It's everything, Ted. All of this. I've never had this. Never had… family. Thank you for giving that to me." I smiled at him. He pulled me into a hug, and I suddenly had a terrible urge.

"I have something for you two." I whispered. Ted pulled back.

"'Dromeda, you didn't have to, I didn't expect you to-" he was cut off by my lips crashing onto his. I just kissed Ted Tonks. In front of his whole family. Sweet Merlin, I've gone mad. Ted didn't think so, however, and muttered "Nevermind, I want you to give me Christmas presents every day." When I pulled away.

"I knew it!" Tina cheered. Trish just smirked and turned back to her gifts.

"Merry Christmas, everyone." I smiled at them all, cuddling into Ted.

And that's how I ended up saying my first holiday greeting to my family.


End file.
